The Wanted
by Roselna
Summary: Two boys. Two new girls at school. The boys are being watched, more and more, by...strange...people. The girls are watching them, too. But who could want two ordinary boys like Cory and Jerry? Besides, of course, two groups of magical cats.
1. Chapter 1

I slouched in my desk in Mr. Kell's class, halfway through first period. _Seven thirty is too early for school,_ my brain thought tiredly. No one else around me seemed all that awake, either. In fact, Jerry- my best friend -was catching some z's at the moment, head lying on top of his notebook. I reached over and punched his shoulder. My friend jerked awake, gave me a sleepy glare, then gazed at the board, sinking down in his seat miserably. His flaming red hair was mussed and his eyes were bleary- the sure signs that he stayed out too late at the stupid skatepark. Which would also explain the nice big scrape he had on his cheek and bruise on his arm that weren't there yesterday.

I gazed back at the chalkboard, then down at my notebook, where I was supposed to be writing my response to the section of our textbook that we had just finished reading. Just as I reached for my pen, the very thing that would sentence me to a day of schoolwork, there was a sharp rap on the door. The class seemed to perk up considerably as everyone looked at the door expectantly. Even Jerry, who had been nodding off again, looked over to the door, sitting up in his chair a little bit. Mr. Kell looked up from his papers, then called for whoever is was standing in the hallway to come in. The counselor dramatically opened the door, then clicked her way in wearing her signature high heels. Behind her were two girls, one with a book bag slung over her shoulder, the other with a messenger bag hanging limply from her shoulder. "Mr. Kell, I have your new students," the counselor said brightly. School staff was too awake at seven thirty. She urged the two new girls in front of her.

The taller of the two, the one with the messenger bag, strode forward, leaning against Mr. Kell's desk and dropping her bag next to her feet. She was lean and muscled, with body language that said, "_I'm on a mission. Don't mess with me."_ I frowned as she scanned the class. She had short, cropped hair that was black, with silver and copper highlights. She wore a necklace that had a strange silver outline of a flower hanging from it. She gazed cooly from one student to another. I frowned more deeply when her eyes rested on me. When you held the full attention of her dark grey eyes, they glittered with something powerful. Something that wasn't quite...human. She held her gaze on me for a few moments, then looked to the next person. As this went on, Mr. Kell stood at the door and talked with the counselor. The shorter girl happily bounced next to her friend, as smirking smile on her face. This one had hair that fell between orange and red, at about chin length. The thing that struck me hardest about this girl was that she was tiny. And when I say tiny, I mean _tiny. _She was the smallest sophomore I'd ever seen. She had a small spray of freckles across her nose, and coffee brown eyes that smiled, but also had that same un-human glint as her friend. Her hair was pulled away from her face with a clip that had the same silver flower thingy as Miss Serious.

Once I was done surveying the new girls, I glanced around the room. Only then did I notice there were only two open desks, one on my left and one on Jerry's right. I looked from the empty desk to Jerry, who was watching the red-head, a goofy smile starting to spread across his face. I rolled my eyes, then looked back to the front of the class, where Mr. Kell was clearing his throat, trying to get everyone's attention.

"So," he said, "As you can see, we have two new students." He gestured to Miss Serious and said, "This is..."

"Millie," she supplied, no change in her facial expression. "Like the musical." Her voice was cold and smooth as silk. Her name bothered me slightly. Millie just seemed like the kind of name to belong to someone all bubbly and happy, like her friend. She was too serious.

Mr. Kell smiled and nodded, and was about to say something along the lines of, 'And this is...', but red-head beat him to the punch. "An' Oi'm Reagahn! Bu' 'ou can coall meh Teasah!" she said in one big rush. It didn't help that she had an accent...after I thought about it for a second, I realized it was Cockney. Like Jerry. Even after knowing him for ten years, and I still didn't understand half of what he said. Well...maybe more then half.

Everyone in the class was looking at one another, not able to understand a work of what Red-Head had just said. Even Mr. Kell looked kinda confused, and he was normally good at deciphering accents. Jerry and I were the only ones that even vaguely understood what she had said. Millie sighed, then propelled herself off of Mr. Kell's desk. "She means, And I'm Reagan, but you can call me Teaser. And before you ask, Teaser is her nickname, because she's the biggest tease in the world." The corner of Millie's mouth tugged upwards, and Reagan nodded eagerly, smiling cheekily. "You'll be depending on me for translations," Millie added.

"Actually," Mr. Kell said, walking down the rows. _Oh, boy,_ I thought. I slouched lower in my seat, willing for the earth to open up and swallow me whole. But the earth didn't seem to feel like opening up at the moment. Instead, I remained in my desk, and Mr. Kell's hand came down on my shoulder. "We have our own translator here for Cockney- it is Cockney, correct?" he asked. Reagan nodded, eyebrow raised in an impressed manner. "Mr. Cory here is known around the school for translating this one's-" his other hand came down on Jerry's shoulder, who flashed a smile, "-speech." Then teacher then walked back to the front of the classroom. I looked at the new girls. Reagan, or Teaser, whatever, still looked impressed. Millie, on the other hand, seemed kind of angry.

"Bloimeh, tha's grea'! Ya jus' don' foind maneh folk tha' undahs'an' a word Oi saeh!" Reagan said. On my right, Jerry was chortling at my embarrassment of having been introduced as the translator, while the rest of the class tried to figure out what Reagan had said again. Millie offered no translation, simply leaning back against Mr. Kell's desk again, expression stoney. It became clear, after a few moments, that she wasn't _going _to give a translation. I sighed, then pulled myself up in my desk a little bit.

"She said, Blimey, that's great. You just don't find many folk that understand a word I say," I said. I sank back in my my seat when I was done. Mr. Kell smiled.

"Alright, girls. You can just remain standing, and I'll fill you in on where we are tomorrow, because the bell's going to ring right about...now." There was a great rustling as everyone rushed to get their stuff packed up to get to their next class on time.

_You have to leave it to Mr. Kell, _I thought. _He's good. Maybe, if he wasn't my first hour teacher, I'd like his class more._

_

* * *

_

I walked home, hands shoved deep in the pockets of my jacket in the cold November air. The new girls had appeared in all the classes that I had with Jerry, which were gym, art, and science. Plus social studies in first hour. I already had the feeling that Millie didn't like me, because in every class that we had together, the teacher would point me out as the person that could tell you what Reagan had said. I heard from a couple of people that their other teachers had mentioned me, too.

I barged into the front door, kicking off my shoes and then grabbing them before lugging my book bag upstairs to my room. Then I trotted back down and into the kitchen, where I dug around in the refrigerator for an apple, some carrots, and the ranch dressing. I hummed under my breath as a put the carrots in a tiny little bowl with a pool of ranch, then put the stuff away and carried the bowl and my apple back towards the stairs, a bottle of water tucked under my arm. As I walked down the upstairs hall, I rapped on my mom's office door. "I'm home," I called in, then kept on walking.

"How was school, honey?" I heard her call.

"Fine!" I yelled, entering my room. I sat my snack on my desk, then pulled by iPod out of my pocket and plugged it up to the speakers. I flipped through the songs until I decided that was boring, then hit shuffle and let the music play. Then I sat down at my desk, kicking my computer on to check everything before I started my homework. Over the sound of the music, I heard footsteps in the hall. "What, Mom?" I said, not looking up from the screen.

"Well, this is wonderful," a voice said. My eyes widened, still looking at the computer screen. Slowly, I turned to face my door. And there was Millie, her messenger bag slung over her shoulder, and another, bigger bag in her arms.

"What the heck are you doing in my house?" I practically yelled.

She glared at me. "I'm staying here. I'm your cousin."

* * *

"She _cannot_ stay here!" I hissed quietly at my mother. I gripped the side of her desk as she scrolled through some internet site.

"And give me one good reason why she can't."

"She hates me!"

"Cory, that sweet girl does not hate you."

"You could have at least told me she was staying here!"

"I did. Last week. At dinner. You shrugged and said, 'okay'."

The color drained out of my face as the dim memory of my mother saying something along the lines of, 'Your cousin is going to stay here for a while'. I shook myself. "But Mom-"

My mother turned from the computer and gave me a pointed look. "No buts. Millie is here, and this is where she's staying until things at her home settle down. Get it?"

I sighed in defeat, then turned and padded out of her office. I dragged myself back to my room, where I flopped down in my computer chair and started my homework. Through the wall, I could hear the sounds as Millie settled herself into the guest room. I glared down at my math homework, even though it was easy stuff. After a while, I managed to get the answers down. Then I threw my notebooks back into my backpack and went to the bathroom. "Thank God there's a separate guest bathroom," I muttered to myself. I went in and lean against the counter, gazing into the mirror. I saw a sixteen year old boy with pitch black hair that was streaked with copper and silver. _I'm an idiot, _I thought. _It's obvious we're related. Why didn't I see that? _The boy's eyes were dark, almost unnatural forest green. I sighed, then trudged out of the bathroom. I started to walk back down the hall to my room, but paused at the guest room door. I gazed in, and saw Millie sitting at the desk with a Mac laptop open, struggling to get it to connect to the WiFi. I sighed, then decided to try to redeem myself by doing one act of kindness. I walked in.

Hearing me, she whipped around. "What do you want?" she practically hissed.

"Well," I said, stopping and crossing my arms. "I was going to offer to get you hooked up to the internet," I shot back at her.

A flicker of regret flashed across her face, before her stoney expression returned. "Why would I need your help?" she spat, turning away from me.

I walked up to her, then leaned over her shoulder. "Exactly how long have you been trying to connect?" I asked.

Her stoney expression fell a little bit. Turning her face away from me, she muttered, "Thirty minutes."

I smirked. "That's right," I said, leaning over her shoulder and placing my hands on the keyboard. I pulled up Airport, then turned it off.

"What are you doing?" she yelled at me.

"Getting your stupid computer hooked up," I shot right back. Before she could say anything, I restarted it, and clicked on our WiFi, and typed in the password. "There," I said, backing up and holding out my arms. "Only takes a couple seconds."

She pursed her lips, and clicked on Safari. Of course, when it popped up, Google was up and running. "Thanks," she mumbled. "Now get out of my room!"

I rolled my eyes, and left. So far, I really didn't like my cousin. I ran down the stairs, jumped off the last few, then went outside. I zipped my sweatshirt back up, then walked around the house to the back gate. I opened it, grabbed my bike and yanked it out, then re-closed the gate. Not bothering to wheel my bike to the cement, I hoped on and cycled trough the lawn and onto the street. I biked through town, down to the skatepark. Padlocking my bicycle to the rack, I went in and climbed up on top of the half pipe and watched Jerry as he skateboarded around with someone else. I squinted at his companion, and then realized that it was the other new chick from school. I groaned, then left the park as quickly as I had come.

"Stupid new girls," I muttered as I pedaled. In my anger, I didn't notice the unusual amount of cats there were everywhere. I barely took into account that I had to swerve to avoid hitting a silver tabby, who was staring at me as I pedaled up to him, then turned around and continued to stare as I rode off.

* * *

**A/N:**

Okay. I know, I know. I have two other stories that I really need to update. Oh well. This idea has been bugging me. I think it has real potential. Review, please.


	2. Chapter 2

I rode my bike into the main part of our small town. I made it to the little coffee shop that was nested between the Mac store and the pet shop. I didn't think twice when I noticed a white cat staring at me from the groomer's table that was in the window of the pet shop. I just locked my bike to the rack that the shop kept outside for student convenience. As I started to walk inside, there was something smooth and soft rubbing against my leg. I looked down and saw a scarlet cat, who looked up at me. "Hi," I said flatly, before continuing into the coffee shop. The red cat's eye narrowed- I think -and it slunk over to where a black and yellow cat with a white chest seemed to be waiting for her. I shook my head, flicked my bangs out of my eyes, then walked inside. I went up to the counter.

"Cory!" I turned around to see who called my name. No one was looking at me. In fact, the place was empty except for a rather freaky-looking guy, with crazy ginger hair, who was reading a magazine.

"Can I take your order?" I turned back to the counter.

"Uh, yeah. Uhm...strawberries and cream frap, please. Tall."

"Two sixty-one."

I dug my wallet out of my back pocket and gave the person three dollar bills.

"Your change is twenty-nine cents."

"Thanks," I said, walking over to the other side of the counter, where my order was quickly given to me. I went over and sat in one of the nice chairs they had, sinking down and wallowing in self-pity. Until I felt eyes on the back of my head. I looked over my shoulder to see the creepy man staring at me, talking on a cell phone. He was speaking low enough to where I couldn't hear. When I looked at him, he continued to stare. I turned back around, trying to squash the feeling of panic that was starting to grow in my chest.

_Get up. Leave the coffee._

I shot up. A voice had just spoken in my head.

_Get up and leave the coffee. Unless you want to get into some major trouble. _Hesitantly, I stood up and walked over to the trash can, where I chucked my half-filled cup. Then I walked outside. _Don't get on your bike. It'll be back at your house tonight. _Creeped out, I did what the voice told me. _Walk to the sidewalk. There's a scarlet queen with black spots and a white bib waiting for you. She's with two other cats, a silver tabby with black tabby stripes and a black and gold queen with a white bib. Bend down. Stroke all three. Then walk home. _I wondered if I was going insane, but when I got to the sidewalk, three cats crept out of the bushes and up to me. I bent down and petted each of them. The two 'queens' were girls- the two cats who had been at the coffee shop when I went in. The other cat was the one I had almost run over a half hour ago. Then I stood up and started walking home. The three cats came with me. Just as I was about to try to get them to go away, the voice said: _Don't try to shoo them away. They'll stay. _I kept walking, and the cats stayed with me until I got home. They followed me all the way up to my front door, and stayed on the porch until I was inside.

"Okay," I said, shaking my head. "That was weird." I turned and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. What was there was Millie, sitting in a chair with the strangest assortment of clothes on. "But not as weird as that," I said, pointing at her.

She was holding her head, which was in a wig that was black and looked like it had ears on the top of her head. She looked up at me, with her face painted, but seemed to drained to do more than glare. She was also in some weird leotard thingy, with arms and legs and a high neck. It was painted with gray and black and little floofies on her shoulders. She had a tail hanging off of her back, and leg warmers on. "What are you supposed to be?" I asked, taking a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water from the fridge.

"Tantomile from the musical _Cats,_" she whispered. She rubbed her face, miraculously not smearing the facepaint she had on.

"O-kay then," I said, taking a drink from my glass. Then I went to the pantry to get a pack of cheese crakers.

"Don't eat now, Cory. I'll have dinner on in fifteen minutes," my mom's voice said from behind me. I groaned and turned around. My mother seemed excited. "Isn't Millie's costume simply incredible? I mean, it looks like it's _real_. You can't see wig lines or seams or anything. I mean, look at the way the warmers just blend into the unitard!" she said excitedly.

"Is that what it's called?" I said sarcastically, feigning interest.

My mother glared at me. "Be nice," she said, then turned to the stove, and started getting stuff out to make dinner.

I rolled my eyes, then walked out of the kitchen. "Tell me when dinner's ready," I called over my shoulder before bounding up the stairs and into my room. I collapsed on my bed. Then my cell phone rang from its place on my nightstand. I swiped it up and hit the talk button. "Hello?"

"'ey. Did 'ou no'ice a ton o' ca's 'round tuhday?"

"Why?"

"'Cause there were a ton o' 'em a' the park tuhday. An' then a couple o' 'em followed meh an' Reagahn 'ome."

"Yeah. The same thing happened to me." I decided not to sound like a freak Jer out by telling him about the whole creepy-man-voice-in-my-head thing.

"'Kay. Oi woas jus' wonderin'. I's jus' go' meh koinda paranoid. Don' know why. Oi jus' go' a bad feelin' roigh' now."

"Eh. It'll blow over. Talk to you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Yeah. Boi."

"Bye." I snapped my phone closed, then lay back on my bed and ran my hands over my face. All this weird stuff was giving me a headache.

"Cory! Dinner!" I sighed, then picked myself up and went down the stairs. When I got to the kitchen, Millie had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" I asked.

"Millie went to bed. Her head was bothering her. So it's just me and you tonight."

"It's always been just you and me."

"Cory."

"What? It always has been. Dad walked out. Simple as that."

"Cory." Now my mom's voice was stern. I ticked her off. I sat down with a sigh and ate in silence. When we were done, Mom swept up the plates and did the dishes silently. I had hit a sore string by mentioning Dad. So I slunk upstairs without saying goodnight. As I passed Millie's room on the way to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I glanced in. My cousin was passed out on her bed, now in a normal human state. Her face was screwed up with what was either extreme pain or extreme fright. In her sleep her hands moved up and clutched her head, and she bared her teeth. Curious, I quietly walked in. I stood at her bedside. Tentatively, I pressed a hand on her forehead. In the moment I did, a wave of pain crashed onto me.

I fell to the ground. "Oh my God!" I yelled. I grabbed at my head, which throbbed now with the worst pain I'd ever felt. It came in waves. "Oh, God," I said again. I stood up and opened my eyes, seeing with white spots. I blinked a couple of times and stumbled out of Millie's room. "Oh my God. Oh my freaking God." I fell down onto my bed, hands pressed against my head. I struggled to think about something that had flashed across my mind in the second I had my hand on Millie's forehead, but with the pounding in my own head, it was impossible. Somehow, I fell asleep.

* * *

Noises woke me up. Strange ones. I groggily sat up, only to find that my head still pounded, though not nearly as bad. I looked out my open bedroom door, seeing strange shadows cast by the old-fasion gas lamp my mom had in the hall. Then a couple dark figures dashed passed my doorway. Still half asleep, I got up and out of my bed, and stumbled out into the hall, only to see the shapes disappear into Millie's bedroom. I followed them and stood at the doorway, squinting.

"Some light, please, Mistoffelees," One figure said. Another one held up its hand, and flames erupted out of it, creating a fire that floated in midair. My eyes widened as I took in what I saw. Three people dressed in the same kind of stuff Millie had been wearing earlier stood there, all huddled around her bed. "We need her in her Jellicle Form," the same voice said. The one that made the fire come out of his hand nodded, and placed his hands on either side of Millie's face. They stayed there for a second, and then Millie's human features dissolved, I guess. Her hair shaped itself into a wig. A tail grew. her body became black and gray with copper parts here and there. And her lower legs got really fuzzy. I stared in wonder as the two other figures bent over her.

"Over-exhastion. She uses more energy to communicate with humans, even though he was her other half."

"At least, we think he was."

"Plus she had to contact Munkustrap, Demeter and Bombalurina. It's harder to communicate to non-telpathics."

"So what happens?"

"She just needs some sleep, Mistoffelees."

"What...the...hell?" I said finally. All three figures snapped their heads in my direction.

"Shit," the magic one said.

"Language," one of the others warned. Then they looked at me.

"I think he's the one. I mean, by the looks of it, he touched her forehead and got one killer wave of the pain. That doesn't happen to anyone else."

"What do we do with him?" the magic one asked.

"Put him back to sleep," the first one told him.

And then the magic guy nodded, and advanced on me. I was too out of it to really understand anything of what was happening. I just stood there like a clueless donkey. Suddenly, I was face to face with him. "Sorry," he said. And then everything went dark...

* * *

**A/N:**

I am having fun with this.

r1y2r3e4s- Thank you.

BroadwayKhaos- All the names were easy- excepter Teazer's.

RedRubyStorm- I try with the personalities- I think I've gotten better at it recently.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of an alarm I didn't set. I lay there for a minute, thinking. I remembered waking up last night- and then some fire, and a couple weird people. I sat there in struggling thought for a few minutes, then gave up and jumped out of bed. When I did, I was thrown into dizziness and sat back down on my bed. I stayed still for a moment, sitting there, completely out of it. Finally, I tentatively stood up, finding that if I moved slowly, I was able to get where I needed to go. I shuffled around, pulling on jeans, a long sleeve shirt, then a brown t-shirt over that. I walked to the bathroom, where, as I brushed my teeth, I looked in the mirror. What I saw made me freeze. There, for just a second, my reflection looked...crazy. It was tall, much taller than me, with a wild ginger mane, the same kind of costume Millie wore yesterday, but much more wild and...well, scary. The figure smiled at me, seeming diabolical. But as soon as it was there, it faded away and I saw myself, staring at my reflection, jaw dropped and eyes frightened. I glanced to each side, placed my toothbrush down, then slowly backed out of the bathroom. Then I turned around and ran, ran downstairs and looked in the mirror that hung in the hall. There was no freaky reflection, just myself, dark green eyes wild and scared. I slowly walked back upstairs and went into my room, where I grabbed my jacket, shoes, and backpack. Then I skirted down the stairs and into the kitchen, tossing my stuff down by the front door.

When I walked into the kitchen, Millie was already sitting at the table, sipping a mug of steaming tea while reading the newspaper. Her gray eyes flicked up to look at me. "I see we match," she said sarcastically.

I glanced over her. True to her word, Millie was wearing blue jeans, a white long sleeve undershirt, and a graphic brown tee on top. "Wonderful," I replied, just as sarcastically, momentarily forgetting my fright. Then I glanced around the kitchen, and skirted to the cabinets and poured myself a bowl of cereal.

"Someone's paranoid this morning," my cousin called from her place at the table.

I glared at her. "You would be, too, if some creepy half human half cat thing showed up in your mirror right after you woke up," I shot at her, not caring that I sounded completely insane.

What happened though, instead of her sharp tongue insulting me, her head snapped up. Her icy shell was gone, and underneath was one of fright and something like...protectiveness, maybe? "What did it look like?" she whispered. "Did it have crazy fur? Ginger? Really tall, with sunken in yellow eyes?"

I stared at her. "Don't you want to tell me I'm crazy? Insult me?" I asked, surprised.

"Answer my questions!" Her voice wasn't above a whisper, but it packed the force of a scream into her words.

"Uh...yeah."

Millie looked away from me, staring off into space. Her lips moved, forming silent words. Suddenly, she stood up. "We have to get going, twerp," she said, starting to pull on a pair of brown boots.

I stared at her. She glared right back. Finally, I shook my head and pulled on my sneakers. I gulped down my cereal while she dashed upstairs to get her bag, and then took a piece of gum so that my breath didn't stink. When Millie still hadn't come down after five minutes, I yelled up the stairwell, "Millie! We gotta go!" No response. Annoyed, I trudged up the stairs. I heard her voice coming from in her room.

"No, Teaser! Macavity was looking at him!" My brow furrowed as I leaned against her closed door. "Yes, Macavity!...Yesterday, I thought it was him. ...Well, duh! We need to tell Munkustrap. ...No, don't tell _him_! Not now. We aren't sure about him. I can pretty much guarantee that we found Coricopat. ...Yes, I know. I think we can wait another week, and then, if Macavity doesn't show any interest in Jerry, then I think we've got the wrong guy. Hey, did Mistoffelees get Cory's bike back to the house? ...Good. Alright. I'll see you in a little bit." There was a click, and I realized that Millie was about to come out of her room. I turned and bolted down the stairs, scooping up my book bag that way I would look like I wasn't listening to her conversations. I leaned against the wall next to the front door, attempting to look like I'd been there the whole time. Millie trudged down the stairs, seeming to be in a relatively bad mood again. She walked out the front door, ignoring me.

I followed her out, but ran over to the side of the house and looked behind the fence. And there, sat my bike, where I was told it would be.

* * *

Millie walked quickly down the street, stopping at the corner and looking both ways before dashing across the street. I followed her. "You know we have to stop and wait for Jerry, right? At the next corner?" I said. She didn't respond, but when we got to his street, she stopped and leaned against the street post. We waited there for a couple minutes, until, all of the sudden, Jerry was tearing down the street. He stopped by us, panting.

"What's wrong?" Millie asked, brow furrowing.

"Rehgahn...creepeh red thin'...told meh tuh go an' ge' tuh 'ou goiuys," Jerry panted. Millie lips tightened, and her eyes widened. She looked up, and watched Jerry's house for the ten seconds it took Reagan to come flying out. I stood there, confused.

Regan came running down the street, and when she got to where the three of us were, she was smiling as she panted. "Le's ge' goin'! Weh don' wanna beh la'e!" she called, dashing across the street and heading towards the school. Millie followed like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Me and Jerry looked at each other, completely and utterly confused. Then we followed then, silently walking behind them. We didn't talk, and, because of that, I was able to hear Millie and Reagan's whispered conversation.

"No," Millie said. Her voice was strained. "It's happening too soon. We've only been in contact with them for a day!"

"Oi know. Bu' 'e said tha' some realleh strong phycic thingeh 'appened. Somethin' tha' gave Coreh a 'eadache."

There was a few seconds' pause. "We need more protection," Millie said finally. "I'll call Misto."

"Oh, you onleh wan' 'im cause 'ou're in looooove," Reagan said.

I could imagine the glare Millie gave Reagan. "I am not," my cousin said defiantly. "But he offers the best protection of those close to our age."

I finally had the nerve to glance up, and I caught Reagan making her hand look like it was talking, muttering, "Blah, blah blah," under her breath.

Meanwhile, Millie pulled out her cell phone, hitting a button as it went up to her ear. I drew back from that conversation, then glanced over at Jerrie. He was sulking. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

His bright green eyes flicked up. "Oi jus' realleh go' a bad feelin'," he said.

"I do too," I sighed, readjusting my bag on my back.

Jerry sighed, then pulled his mini sketch pad out of one of his endless pockets, along with a pencil. He flipped the pad open, and started sketching, going into his little drawing trance. I looked ahead blankly as the four of us made it into the school, getting into Mr. Kell's class right before the bell rang. He gave us one of his _Better be faster _looks, then gathered up papers for our lesson.

I fell into my desk, slouching as my mind reviewed this morning. I glanced over at Jerry, and saw what he was working on. It was a drawing of the creepy half-human thing I had seen in the mirror, and I realized that he must have seen it, too. I slunk lower in my desk, trying to make sense of all of this. It was impossible.

* * *

Millie was impatient all day. At lunch, she glanced around as if she was expecting someone. It wasn't until the end of the day, when she seemed to have given up hope, did someone yell her name.

"Millie!" My cousin whipped around, and when I turned, there was a guy waving his arm at her, running over.

"Mike!" Millie shouted, her face breaking into a grin. Mike hurried over, throwing his arms around Millie, then Reagan. Then he stepped back, and I had the chance to get a good look at him. He was short, though taller than Reagan. He had black hair and was unusually pale, to a point where his skin was almost white. He grinned when he saw me looking him over, with bright blue eyes that glinted with energy, and again, with the un-human glint that belonged to both Reagan and Millie.

"Already protective of her?" he asked slyly.

My brow furrowed, and then Reagan whacked on the arm. Then she grabbed his black t-shirt, yanking him down to her level, and hissed something into his ear. His face made an 'oh' look, then changed to 'whoops'. Reagan let go of his sleeve, and he straightened up. "Sorry," Mike said. "I was confused."

I nodded slowly. "Uh...Millie? Wanna tell me who your friend is?"

"Rude as ever," my cousin muttered. "This is Mike. He's my friend. Mike, this is my extremely annoying cousin, Cory, and his friend, Jerry. You know Reagan."

Mike nodded, raising a hand in greeting.

The five of use stood there rather awkwardly. It was so quiet, that I suddenly became aware of a scratching noise. I looked up from my sneakers, which I had found rather interesting for the past five minutes. The scratching was Jerry's pencil in his little sketchbook, again. He wasn't paying any attention to anything else. I glanced around, and the other three were staring at him as well. Jerry didn't look up, and kept drawing for another minute. Then Reagan took two silent steps towards him, then swiped the sketchbook right out of his hands.

"'ey!" Jer yelped, grabbing at his book.

"Nope," Reagan said, holding it out of his reach. Then she pulled it up close to her eyes. Millie and Mike looked on either side of her, and I walked around to peer over Mike's shoulder, whom I was a few inches taller than. The four of us looked down at the drawing. What I saw was a colored pencil drawing that was exactly what I saw in the mirror this morning. Jerry had captured an evil in the was the ginger streaks on its face contorted into an unnerving smile.

"I never would have thought," Mike said under his breath. "Mungojerrie, an artist." I assumed that I wasn't supposed to hear him. Without saying anything, Reagan handed Jerry his sketchbook back. He swiped it out of her hand, then knelt on the ground to tuck it safely into his backpack. "Coffee, anyone?" Mike said when Jerry stood back up. We all nodded, then walked our way into town, down to the coffee shop where I had gotten the mental message yesterday. When we walked in, I warily glanced around to check for ginger-haired men. Today there were more people, mainly students looking forward to the weekend and enjoying a Friday afternoon snack. Mike stepped up to the counter, telling the cashier that our group was on him. I started to object, at the same time that Millie did. Mike put up a hand, and insisted.

We spent the next twenty minutes in the shop, gathered around tow small circular tables. At this point we actually started talking, laughing every once in a while. By the time we left, Jerry and I were much more at ease with Mike.

By the time I got home with Millie, I felt much safer. My mind dismissed what I had seen in the mirror as a figment of my imagination. Plus, I had been half-asleep this morning when I brushed my teeth. Feeling happy to have a reasonable explanation, I fell asleep quickly when I laid down that night. I had no idea that the peace would only last for a little bit, until my life was changed completely.

* * *

**A/N:**

I hope the end isn't too draggy. I try really hard to make each chapter at least 2000 words, and I needed a transition chapter. So this one is kinda slow at the end.

BroadwayKhaos- Thanks. I think Millie is my favorite character to write in this one so far.

r1y2r3e4s- Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

mirany stone- I'm continuing!

Vio- A threat that I know better than to take seriously. If I died a terrible death, then how could it be continued?


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks went by without any major events. Sure, there were a few times where I caught Millie's conversations, and they didn't make sense, but I saw no crazy reflections, or had any kill-me-now headaches. I got to know Mike a little more, and he ended up being a really cool guy. He was really into magic tricks, and always was pulling a card or something out of our ears, or making stuff disappear. He had even really freaked Jerry out by making his sketchbook disappear- Jer had gotten so mad that he had stormed away from us. We didn't see him until the next morning, when he was sporting new bruises and scratches from taking his anger out at the skatepark. Mike had tentatively held out Jerry's sketchbook, which Jer grabbed and stuffed into his book bag. He spent the next few days fuming, but simmered down and went back to being the crazy, joking Jerry that we knew and loved.

Jerry had also started nursing a soft spot for Reagan. He was constantly at her side, smiling, bending at her will. I had also noticed that Millie was in the same kind of situation with Mike- whereas, while Reagan seemed semi-aware of Jerry's feelings, Mike was about as aware as a rock. I observed all this from a newfound quiet personality. I no longer felt much like talking. Millie had even grown nicer- we were more like brother and sister now.

It wasn't until the night of Amy Smith's Christmas party did everything spiral into insanity. The party was normal, decorations overload, mistletoe here and there. When we arrived, Mike had glanced around, then muttered under his breath, "Tugger woulda put a lot more mistletoe." This hadn't bothered me. Mike always muttered weird little things under his breath. I looked around, then spotted somewhere that I could sit and watch everything go on. The party proceeded as a normal high school party would, with music and dancing. Only when a game of Truth or Dare started, getting towards the end of the party when things were really close to getting boring. Jerry was dared by some kid to ask out the girl he liked. Jerry had sat there for a moment, lips stuck out in a way that only Jerry could do. Then he stood up and walked across the circle to where Reagan stood.

"Reahgahn, would ya go tuh a movieh wiv meh tomorrah noight?" he asked, looking her directly in the eyes.

Reagan had stared at him for a moment. Then her chest started heaving, before she turned around and ran to the upstairs of Amy's house. Jerry sunk back, his face hurt. I knew that Jer needed support, but what worried more at the moment was Reagan. The free-spirited red-head never cried. Never. Millie had run up the stairs a couple seconds after Reagan, but I wanted to check on her for myself. I skirted around the other students, then slipped up the stairs quickly. I could hear sobbing coming from a room down the hallway. I walked silently down the hall to an open door, where I could see the back of Millie and less of Reagan. "Oi-oi can' do i' aneh mo', Mil!" Reagan choked out. "Oi love 'im so much, bu' Oi can' tell 'im! Whoi? Whoi is i' loike this? 'ow much longah do Oi 'ave tuh do this, Milleh?" she sobbed.

"Not much longer, Teaser. I promise," Millie said soothingly.

"Oi don' wan' tuh do i' anehmore!" Reagan practically shouted. "Oi though' Oi'd beh ableh tuh do i', see 'im again, bu' Oi woas wrong! Oi...oi..." Millie had moved out of the way, giving me a clear view of Reagan. As she yelled and cried, she started to...flicker. One second she was orangeish, the next few she was normal. The flickering got faster, until, suddenly, she was in a different form.

_"We need her in her Jellicle Form, Mistoffelees,"_ came back to me. It was from Millie's first night, a month ago. So Reagan was in her 'Jellicle Form'- the form that was half cat, half human. I stared into the room, frozen with shock and fear.

"Do you think it's any easier for me?" Millie said, kneeling down next to Reagan. As she moved, she shifted in some way, melting from human to her 'Jellicle Form'- what she had said so many weeks ago was Tantomile from the musical Cats. I wondered if Millie had been telling the truth. My brain started whirling. What drew my attention was what Millie said next. "Do you think it's easy to look at your brother every day, knowing he has no idea that he's your brother? And not just your brother, but your _twin,_ that you share a telepathic connection with? Do you think I'm not regretting taking this job any less than you are?"

"No," Reagan said in a hushed whisper. She shook her shoulders. "Weh should ge' back downstairs. Oi gotta explain tuh Jer whoi Oi ran off." She sniffled a little, then straightened up. I assumed she was going to go back to her human form, so I silently turned and walked back down the hall, slipping down the stairs and making my way over to my seat without being noticed. I watched the stairs as Millie and Reagan walked back downstairs, seeming perfectly normal. Reagan went to Jerry, who looked up dejectedly at her. She started talking to him, taking his arm and leading him off somewhere. It wasn't them that I was interested in, anyway. I slipped back into the shadow of the giant Christmas Tree, then moved closer to the pine tree, moving a few branches so that I could see Millie and Mike. They were about a fourth of the tree away from me, and speaking in hushed whispers. I shut out all of the nonsense chatter of my other classmates and focused solely on my friends' conversation, a skill that I had gotten better at recently.

Listening carefully, I was able to make out Millie's quiet voice. "We can't stay much longer. Teaser's at her breaking point. If Jerry does much else, he'll accidentally push her over the edge with the grief of loosing Mungo. We have to tell them slowly- and Teaser shifting right in front of him will do the exact opposite of that." My cousin went silent.

Mike took her hand and stroked it. "It'll be alright, Mil. I promise. Tomorrow. We'll start telling them tomorrow." He looked a Millie for a little bit. "I see it. Teaser's not the only one at the end of her will," he said. "It's killing you, isn't it?" he asked, voice quieter than before.

Millie, with tears starting to brim in her gray eyes, nodded. Mike put a hand on her back and rubbed it soothingly, the way Millie had just done for Reagan. As I saw that, I fought a protective growl that rose in my throat.

When I fought that growl, I had lurched forward some, putting my weight on the tree. The tall tree swayed. I backed up. "Crap," I mumbled. The tree swayed back and forth twice before it fell, causing a lot of screaming. Mike yelped and threw himself on top of Millie, knocking her to the ground and out of the way of the tree. I slipped back into the shadows, silently moving back to the spot I had occupied all night.

People started calming down, and Amy gathered up a couple of big football players to get the tree back up. "It's okay, everyone," she called over the nervous chatter. "I guess the tree stand wasn't up high enough. Please, calm down. It's okay. Just gravity," she added. A few people giggled out of nervousness. After the tree was brought back up, the party resumed. I walked around the upright pine, finding Millie and Mike sitting on a bench, close to where they had been standing.

"I'm ready to go," I told them. Millie, whose face bore slight traces of tears, nodded, and Mike got up and went and found Jerry and Reagan. We left as a group, first walking Reagan to her grandma's house, then Jerry to his. Mike walked with Millie and I back to our house.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," he said, leaving us halfway inside. Millie nodded, and I raised a hand, in both a way of telling him that I heard and saying goodnight without talking. Millie went straight up to her room. Feeling confused, and for some reason, angry, I went to the kitchen. I sat down in a chair, then rubbed my face and ran my hands through my hair. I didn't understand. There was one thing for sure- Reagan and Millie were _not _human. Then Mike, who seemed to know everything that was going on, probably had this 'Jellicle Form', too. Also, there was something that they were going to tell Jerry and I, something that apparently would completely freak us out if we found out anything but slow.

Now nursing a headache, I stood up. Taking two pain relievers, I walked upstairs. Instead of going straight to my room, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I didn't plan on coming out of my room until the next morning. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes glinted. They glinted with the un-human glint that Millie, Reagan, and Mike all had. I stared at myself, expressionless. I didn't know if I was just so tired that I was imagining things, or if it was really there. From my silent stance in the bathroom, I became aware of the sound of sobbing for the second time that night. I stepped out of the bathroom, knowing that the only person in the house that I'd be able to hear crying was my cousin. I slipped out into the hall, then stood at her doorframe. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed.

Millie looked up. "Cory," she whispered.

I stared at her.

"Cory...Cory, please listen to me."

I continued staring at her, not saying a word.

Millie glanced at her clock. "Well, it's tomorrow now. Listen, Cory. You're already seen me like this once before. I told you it was a costume, but..." My cousin stood there, then shifted into the half-cat form I'd seen twice now. She looked at me, waiting for a reaction. When she got none, she continued, "Cory, I'm not human. I'm a Jellicle. I-"

"What do you want with me?" I whispered. Millie snapped her mouth closed. "Why are you here? What could Jerry and I possibly do for you?"

"Cory, you see, you're not human either. You're a Jellicle. We...lost you in a battle, and you were born into your next life as a human-"

"I AM _NOT_ A GOD DAMN CAT!"

It was Millie's turn to stare. Her face went from what had been sadness to anger in a flash. "You can't prove that you're not," she snarled.

"And you can't prove that I am!"

Millie's face went into one of upmost anger. "Coricopat, let me see you!" she yelled shrilly. "Let me see you in your Jellicle Form!"

What happened next was unexplainable. Suddenly there was a bright, white light in front of my eyes, and I felt like I was melting. It only lasted for a second, however, and then I was standing there again. I turned quickly and looked in the mirror that hung above Millie's dresser. My eyes widened. I was in the Jellicle Form. "Oh my God," I whispered. Then I craned my neck to look behind me. "Oh my God, I have a tail!" I yelped in horror.

Millie seemed pleased with herself for a moment, but the longer she looked at me, the more the satisfaction disappeared. "Oh, Cat," she whispered, her gray eyes getting big. "Oh, crap. This wasn't how it was supposed to go." She ran a paw through the fur on top of her head. She looked at me. "I'm sorry Cory," she said, before reaching out. She touched my forehead, and then I was drifting into darkness...

* * *

**A/N:**

Okay. I'm not really all that happy with how the writing in this is. It's just...off. I don't know how to put it. But thanks for making the last chapter tied for my most reviews ever! There were nine of them!

mirany stone- Thanks so much for the kind words. :D

HumanGuineapig- I know, right? Cori needs some more time in the spotlight.

Ravyn's Wing- Thank you, both Ravyn and Misto. :)

r1y2r3e4s- Thank you. :) You've read all my stories and reviewed them, you're awesome. :)

Raptor- I would hope so! I need you to know! ;)

RedRubyStorm- I love it when everyone knows everything except the main character. It makes it all the more funny.

Violaunte- I'M NOT A MARY SUE HOW DOES A CHAPTER MAKE ME A MARY SUE GRRRRRRRR!

.- Here's the next chapter for ya!

BroadwayKhaos- Thanks so much! :)


	5. Chapter 5

_OMEC! You guys are amazing! I got TWELVE reviews for the last chapter! Seriously, I love y'all. So. In return, I dedicate this, Chapter Five of The Wanted, to all of you! _

* * *

I awoke the next morning in my bed, with no memory of what had happened the night before. The most I could get back was walking into Millie's room and seeing her crying. Then it was blackness. Anger boiled inside of me. I knew there was more. I also knew that it was Millie who was preventing me from remembering. I looked at the clock on my bedside table. Ten thirty. I threw my sheets off, knowing that Millie would be awake.

I stomped downstairs and found my cousin at the breakfast table. She was paging through a book, with a bowl of strawberries and a glass of milk next to her. "Tell me what you did to me last night," I demanded.

Millie looked up, a calm façade put on. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said evenly.

"Yes, you do. You're doing something to me, so that I can't remember what the bloody hell happened!" I snapped.

Millie's gray eyes turned into daggers. "I did nothing to you last night Cory. What ever you think happened was a dream," she insisted. Her eyes told another story, though, saying that if I continued to annoy her, insisting on the fact that she had tampered with my brain, I would find myself very unhappy.

I took a step towards her. "I know you want Jerry and I for something. I don't know what it is, or why, but I will find out."

Millie's eyes narrowed, but she turned away from me, plucking a strawberry out of the bowl and biting into it, going back to her reading.

I glared at her, but turned around and stormed back upstairs. Underneath my skin, anger swirled and boiled, unable to find a place to leave. Upon returning to my room, the emotion had nabbed the control of my body. My muscles were tense, my motions jerky and small. Finally, I kicked the fifty-pound chest that sat in front of my bed. Doing so was not my brightest idea. "Ow! Ow...ow...ow..." I hopped on one foot, clutching my throbbing toes. The pain seemed to relieve my anger temporarily. In my state of pain, I heard my computer make the little _bling _that it makes when I get an instant message. I paused in mid-hop, looking over my shoulder at my computer screen. I did not, in fact, receive an instant message, but a request to video chat. "Maggie!" I said, surprise and happiness showing in my voice. Maggie was my best girl-friend. She had her quirks- like being really into ancient mythology, and tending to dress like she was from that time, but otherwise she was awesome. I limped to the computer, hit the 'Accept' button, and then Maggie's heart-shaped face, hazel eyes, and gold curls appeared on my screen.

"Long time, no see. Why haven't you messaged me?" she said. Mags was also into poetry, or rhyming, I could never tell which.

"Nice to see you, too, Maggie," I said, sitting down in my computer chair.

"If you count looking at each other through a computer screen seeing," Maggie said. I watched as a pale yellow kitten leapt up from the floor and into her lap. "Daisy misses you," she said, holding the kitten up to the webcam. I got a good view of the kitten's pink nose as it sniffed the electronic device. "And so does Moonlight, and Seashell, and Bubble, and Alaina, and Trist, and Zest, and-"

"Okay! I get it! All the cats miss me," I said, chuckling. Maggie also acted a few years younger than her age- according to her, it was fun.

Maggie beamed. "Even the new ones!"

I cocked an eyebrow. "You got some more?"

She shrugged. "We didn't really get more. Some strays wandered in. Like Lillymae."

"Ah," I said, nodding.

"So," Maggie said, sitting up straight and looking me in the eyes. Under the full attention of her eyes, the hazel color appeared more yellow. "Do you want to come over and hang out? At least for a little bit?"

I glanced over my shoulder, thinking about my relative that would care. Still angry with her, I turned back to the computer. "Sure," I said. "I'll be down in a little bit."

"Yay!" Maggie said. Without another word, she ended the video chat. I smiled and shook my head. Typically Mags. Then I got up, pulling on some clothes so that I could get out of my house. I snuck quietly down the stairs, slipped across the front hall that connected with the kitchen, and stealthily made my way out of the front door. Once outside, a satisfied smile swept over my face. I went to the gate, getting my bike, then walked it to the sidewalk. It felt incredibly good to be out, by myself, for the first time in about a month. As I biked down the streets to Maggie's house, I looked at all the Christmas decorations. The holiday was about a week away, and school had let out for a two week break two days ago. If it hadn't been for my stupid cousin, I'd be enjoying it more.

I pulled into the driveway of Maggie's house, which had been attacked with lights. There were light up trees, deer, the icicle lights that hung from the roof, and a ton of other ones. I went up to the front door and knocked. I was immediately greeted by Maggie herself, a brown tabby on her shoulder. "Cory!" she yelled, throwing her arms around me. "It's good to see you when you aren't made of pixels!" she exclaimed, pulling back and smiling. Her yellowy-hazel eyes danced with excitement.

"Good to see you too, Mags," I said, stepping inside.

"Did you bike over here? It must have been cold! Want some hot chocolate? I could put a candy cane in it!" Maggie talked so fast, I didn't get a chance to answer her questions. "Did you know it's supposed to snow tonight? Wouldn't that be _awesome_? A white Christmas! Just think about it!"

I laughed as she danced around the kitchen, pouring hot chocolate, prying a candy cane off of a cookie sheet. "Yes, it would be cool," I said, taking the chance while she stirred the warm drink.

Maggie beamed at me, then pressed the mug of hot chocolate into my hands, taking the opportunity to brush hers against mine. "I knew it was cold outside! Your hands are freezing!" she announced. Then she opened one of the drawers in her kitchen. "Maybe that cause you left your gloves here," she sing-songed, waving them in front of my face.

"So that's where those went," I said. Maggie nodded eagerly. We were interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

"I'll get it!" Maggie sang, bounding towards the front of the house. I took the time to notice that she was wearing a sleeveless, floor-length Greek chiton, and her skin was still as tan as it was in the summer, as if she had been soaking in the sun's rays from all the Christmas lights. I put my hot chocolate down on the counter, picking up my gloves from the floor where Maggie had dropped them. "Oh, Cor-y!" Maggie called from the door.

"What-y?" I called back.

"Come here!"

I trudged from the kitchen to the front hall, only to see my cousin smiling at me from the door. "Who's this?" Maggie asked, smiling grandly.

I forced myself to smile. "Maggie, this is my cousin, Millie. She's staying with us fro a while. Millie, this is my best girl-friend, Maggie." Millie nodded.

"Hi! Did you bike here too? Want some hot chocolate?" Maggie babbled, inviting Millie inside. My cousin stepped inside the house.

"That would be nice, thank you," Millie said, but Maggie had already scampered off to the kitchen.

"Why are you here?" I hissed to Millie.

"Because you didn't tell me you were leaving," Millie stated. She shot my a sideways glance. I glared back at her. Then Millie looked away from me, smiling and taking the hot chocolate from Maggie. "Thank you," she said.

Maggie looked at me, her yellow-hazel eyes shining. Then she cocked her head in a feline way. She had so many cats that she tended to imitate them sometimes. "Something wrong, Cory?" she asked, her voice, for the first time that day, actually sounding like a sixteen-year-old.

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I muttered. I briskly walked back to the kitchen and picked up my mug of hot chocolate. I went back into the living room, where Millie and Maggie were already babbling away. I went and sat on the couch by Maggie, sulking. They took no notice of me, simply chatted for what seemed like forever. I sighed, and sunk into the couch. I'm not sure how long I sat there, but it was all a boring blur until Millie's phone rang.

"Oh," she said, pulling it out of her pocket. Her face lit up. "It's Mike," she said. I perked up a little bit. Millie hit speaker phone, then lifted the phone up so we could all hear. "Hey, Mikey," she said, smiling.

The voice that came back wasn't smiling. "Mil, cut the act. You have to shift. _Now."_

Millie's face dropped. "W-w-what?" she stammered, the first time I had ever heard her do so.

"You heard me. We're in trouble-"

"But I can't!" Millie hissed. "There's another one-"

Mike interrupted her. "Millie, I'm coming with the van. Shift, now, and whoever's there is coming with us. Code Ginger." With that, he hung up.

Millie looked up from her phone and at us, her eyes filled with fear. "Okay, do not scream. Do exactly as I say." And then, she was in the form of the half-human, half-cat hybrid. "Go to the door, and wait for the white van to pull up. Then run outside, and get in the car. Maggie included."

Mags and I both stared at her in shock.

"Go," Millie hissed.

Maggie and I glanced at each other, then followed orders. It seemed that either we listen to Millie and face whatever comes, or face whatever Millie was afraid of, and meet our deaths. We did the more sensible thing. We ran for the white van.

* * *

**A/N:**

WOOT! This is where it gets fun!

Raptor- Misto/Tanto- I know, right?

Ravyn- ...Uhm...who flamed me? Just so I know...

CommanderDataReportingForDuty- Thank you so much. I do enjoy writing Mungo and Teazer as a couple. :)

Violaunte- I AM NOT A MARY SUE I DON'T CARE IF I WRITE GOOD STOP CALLING ME THAT! But thank you.

mirany stone- I sure hope you do! I'm here to please my writers!

RedRubyStorm- What went wrong was that Millie was so depressed and upset that she accidentally let her emotions get a hold of her, causing her to reveal the Jellicles to Cory too soon.

Shadows in the Moon- YAY for understanding! And yes, I do like that line too.

HopelessRomantik- I don't know if Cory's gonna stay that way or not...

r1y2r3e4s- Yes, Jellicles are awesome like that. They just tend to appear.

Quill of Thoughts- You Misty-boy fans. Always there. ;) But you guys seem to like my stuff. So keep reading!

Kristin-Kai-Lundy- Irony, is indeed, fun to write. :)

BroadwayKhaos- All will eventually become clear...*waves hands in front of face in attempt to be creepy, failing miserably*


	6. Chapter 6

My cousin hurried us out of the house, shoving us towards the rumbling white van that stood at the curb. Someone in the front seat was making hurried motions. Millie shoved us a little more. Maggie and I ran across the yard. As we approached the van, the side door flew open, and Millie all but picked us up and threw us in. Needless to say, we were both out of breath as we tumbled into the car. Millie leapt in after us, and with a flick of her tail, the doors slammed shut. Whoever was driving slammed on the gas, causing Maggie and I to rocket to the back of the car.

The van had been emptied of seats, and instead had several unlabeled boxes. I pulled myself up, a struggle against the speed that the vehicle was traveling. Once I was up, though, I was able to see the insane driver. And that driver was none other than another cat.

Maggie let out a gasp as she took in the feline in the driving seat. It was a black and white cat-human, with black and white fur that looked like a tuxedo. It felt like I had seen it before, that nagging feeling that I wasn't remembering something I should.

"You know, we aren't _cat-humans,_" Millie snapped from the passenger seat. Obviously, she had read my mind. "And Mistoffelees is not an _it_, either. He, and I, are Jellicles." I stared at her. She swelled. "The group of magical cats? Known only to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Thomas Stearns Eliot? Our story out in the open, by the musical _Cats_?"

I shook my head, but Maggie gasped again. "You're saying they're real?" she screeched, permanently damaging my hearing.

"What else would I be saying, human?" Millie hissed, turning around to face the street.

Maggie shrunk back, hurt by the Jellicle's comment. I swelled, still clueless, but angry that Millie could go from babbling away with Maggie to hissing at her in a matter of seconds.

"Tantomile," Mistoffelees, the Jellicle in the driver's seat, said softly. His gaze didn't drift from the road, hands-or paws, but they looked like hands- tight on the wheel. "Take it easy."

Tantomile huffed, crossing her arms and sinking in her seat in an unhappy way. Her position wasn't more than set, however, when loud, rapid sounds filled the air. The Jellicle I had as a cousin shot up in her seat. The sounds didn't stop, and I realized that they were gunshots. Mistoffelees cursed. "Not good," he muttered, leaning forward and putting more pressure on the gas pedal. The van lurched forward, gaining more speed.

The gray girl-cat in the passenger seat's eyes widened. "How did they find us so quick?" she asked no one in particular. She looked back at us, and her eyes widened like she had just realized there was something wrong. She urgently turned back to Mistoffelees. "We don't have Teazer!" she hissed.

Mistoffelees seemed to have known this. "She was supposed to be here. I don't know what could have held them up-"

He was interrupted by the loud _ring _of a phone. Tantomile snatched the cell phone that sat on the dashboard. She listened for a moment, then yelped. "Turn around!" she screamed. "They're under attack!"

Mistoffelees needed no encouragement. He dared glance from the road and into the side view mirror. Whatever he saw, he didn't like it. "Switch, Mil," he said. Then he jumped out of the driver's seat, abandoning the wheel for the millisecond it took Tantomile to slip into the seat and grab it once more. The van screeched into a U-turn that I'm pretty sure was illegal, and sent Maggie and I tumbling to the right.

"Aren't we going towards the guns now?" I pointed out helpfully.

"Shut up," Tantomile snapped. "Misto has it covered."

Indeed, when I looked over at him, Mistoffelees was holding his hands on the window, and a pulsing blue light was starting to spread over the van. I assumed that it was a protective force field or something of the like. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head. "Wait a second! What about my mom? And Maggie's parents?"

"Not right now," Mistoffelees said. It sounded like he was straining to speak. I wanted to argue, but I figured that now wasn't the time to do it.

We drove for about two minutes in tense silence, save for the continuing gunshots and screeching of the tires as Tantomile skidded around turns. I watched out the window, wanting to do something to help but having no idea how. Every couple seconds, whoever was chasing us caught up. They were in a small black car, with dark windows rolled down far enough to allow the point of a gun to but stuck out and fired.

Suddenly, amid the chaos, Tantomile's cell phone- God, that was a creepy thought. A cat using technology. -rang again.

"Answer it," she instructed me.

As I looked at her phone, I found that she had received a text. "Open door, jumping" I read. I looked at Tantomile. "What does that mean?"

"It means," she said, the vein in her temple popping out, "OPEN THE FREAKING DOOR."

Maggie, bless her, had understood quicker. She was already straining to open the door against the wind. I grabbed it with her, and with our combined strength we managed to yank it open, and just in time. As soon as the door was ajar, Jerrie was tossed into the van, closely followed by a creme and orange tabby cat that I recognized from the Christmas party. Maggie slammed the door shut and Tantomile put the car through another burst of speed, leaving our pursuers in the dust.

"'e's shot," Reagan cried, doing a little dance around Jerrie, who was lying on the floor of the van, unconscious. "They shot 'im, they shot 'im!" Then she collapsed next to him, sobbing. I stared at my best friend, trying to register what had happened. His jeans had a ragged hole below the knee, and were covered in blood. Hopefully, he had only passed out from seeing the injury, and not because...I didn't even want to think about it.

"It's okay, Teazer," Tantomile said. "Just a couple more miles," she prayed. "Please, Bast, just a few more miles till we're in Jellicle territory."

When Maggie grabbed my arm, it took me a second to realize that I had been about to fall over in a dead faint. I was surrounded by mythical human-cat creatures that apparently were real, my cousin was one of these weird things, I had just been hurled into a van traveling at double the speed limit while another car shot guns at us, and my best friend was lying on the floor of said van with a bullet in his leg. A guy can only take so much in one day.

I ended up kneeling next to Jerry, slapping his face and trying to get him to wake up while Reagan or "Teazer" sobbed next to him unhelpfully, wailing and pretty much freaking out. Which I don't blame her for. "What do I do here?" I yelled, trying to be heard over Teazer's wailing and Tantomile's mutterings and Mistoffelees straining to keep up the force field or whatever and the gunshots of whoever the hell was pursuing us.

"Not, now, Cory!" Tantomile shouted. That was the last straw. I leapt up and slammed my hands on the back of her seat.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, MY FRIEND IS GOING TO DIE AND YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AND THERE'S PEOPLE FREAKING SHOOTING AT US AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING. I WANT ANSWERS!"

Dangerous? Yes. Irrational? Yes. Did I care? No.

In fact, my little outburst brought silence to the van. Teazer (I decided this was her name) actually stood up and came close to me, looking up into my face with a concerned expression. She stared for a few minutes, then made a noise almost like a scoff. "You can' be Coricopat," she said, looking at me with an expression of disbelief. "He never yelled." Then she reached up and took my face in her hands and moved it around. "Oi see 'im...but, is he in there?" she asked.

I looked back at her, and at her green eyes. "Try tuh remember," she coaxed. Then, suddenly, her face changed. It was still orange and looked like she was wearing facepaint, but it was a different expression and a different background. She was looking at me with fear and sadness all balled into one. And then Tantomile's face appeared, streaked with tears. Her lips moved, but I couldn't hear anything. And there was another face, another Jellicle or whatever. A pretty one. Then I was ripped from the vision, pulled back into reality where I saw Teazer's eyes that were red from crying and heard the van skidding along the streets. My head was pounding, and my vision swam.

"Who...who are you people?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter right now," a tight voice said. I looked over and saw Tantomile, her grip still tight on the wheel. "We just need to get to the junkyard."

"The guns stopped," Mistoffelees whispered, collapsing down into his seat. "Goodnight." And then he started snoring. Tantomile eased up on the gas and went slower, hovering at just over the speed limit instead of far faster.

"Is that normal?" Maggie asked. I started a bit. In just a few minutes, I had forgotten she was there. Poor Mags. She was sitting in the corner of the van, back pressed against a cardboard box and hands latched around her knees, which were pressed to her chest.

The Jellicles seemed to have forgotten, too. Teazer sighed, sitting back down next to Jerrie, who hadn't stirred. "Yeah," she said. "Magic tires 'im out. 'e woulda lasted longer 'ad he 'ad good rest 'stead of the little naps 'e's been takin'."

"Oh," Maggie said in a small voice. I instantly felt bad. I'd gotten her dragged into a mess that she didn't belong in, and now she was stuck here until we could figure out what to do.

I walked over and sat next to her. "I'm sorry, Mags," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at me and attempted to smile, but it slipped off her face too quickly. "Really, I am."

"It's fine, Cory," she said, not looking at me. She picked at the hem of her greek dress, which had come loose in the chaos.

"No, Mags, really-"

"Cory," she said, stopping me. "I'm fine. I don't know what's going on, but I'm okay. Go worry about Jerrie, okay?" She looked at me with a sad little smile on her face, and I could feel the bonds of our friendship snap right there. We didn't belong in the same world anymore. Then Maggie turned her face to look out the back window, and I knew the conversation was over.

And I felt horrible about it.

* * *

"Okay," Tantomile said, putting the van in park. "We're here."

I looked out the window. We were stopped in front of an old junkyard, in one of the oldest parts of town. "Um...you know we're in front of a junkyard, right? With a guy that has a bullet in his leg? Couldn't he get rust poisoning or something?" I asked.

If looks could kill, I would have been a goner with the one Tantomile gave me. Other than her glare, she paid my question no mind, and instead started giving orders. "Teazer, see if you can wake Misto up. Cory, carry Mungo-"

"Who's Mungo?" I asked, rather stupidly.

Tantomile took what seemed to be a calming breath, forcing herself to remain civil. "Jerrie. Carry Jerrie into the junkyard."

"Okay," I said, and set about the task of gathering up Jerrie, who is all limbs.

"Can I do anything?" Maggie asked, playing with her fingers. If I knew Maggie at all, she was feeling guilty and wanted to do something to help.

Tantomile studied her. "Can't send her home," she muttered. "Just come along," she said, louder. Maggie sighed as she slid out of the van. "Into the junkyard, everyone," Tantomile announced. I struggled towards the gates, Jerrie completely deadweight in my arms, Maggie shuffled along behind Mistoffelees, whom Teazer had managed to wake. Tantomile lead us all to the gates. She was stopped by another Jellicle leaping out of seemingly nowhere. This one was black and white and patched.

"State your business," he growled.

Tantomile rolled her eyes. "Bast, don't you recognize one of your own?"

The Jellicle stood up suddenly, no longer growling and bearing his fangs. "Tantomile? Who are..." He looked at us, his face paling a little. "Bast, you found them." He took Jerrie from my arms and threw him over his shoulder.

Teazer gave a shriek and kicked him in the shin, which caused the cat to buckle. "Be careful!" she screeched. "'e's shot in the leg, you-" She called him some names that I'm choosing not to share.

"Who is that?" I muttered to Tantomile.

She sighed. "Alonzo," she said. "Second protector. He's annoying."

"I see."

"Okay," Alonzo said, in a commanding tone that made Teazer stop yelling at him, but she continued to glare at him and gripped Jerrie's limp hand. "You all can come. Except-" he pointed at Maggie. "-her. She's a human. Can't come in."

"Oh," Maggie said. "Okay, I'll just go-"

"No," I said. "She's coming." I grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving.

Tantomile gave me a pleading look. "Cory, it's not safe. The last time a human came into the junkyard-"

"She's right, Cory," Maggie said, tugging at her arm to try and get out of my grip.

"No," I repeated. "She's coming. I don't care what the rules are, she's coming because she's the only one I trust that's still conscious," I said. Maggie looked at me, somewhat confused.

Tantomile just sighed. "I'd forgotten how stubborn he is," she mumbled. Then, to Alonzo, she said, "Just let her in. Honestly, how much more damage can be done here?"

Alonzo frowned, but he didn't argue. "Come on. We'll go to Jenny's den." And then he lead us into the junkyard. We weaved through towering piles of junk and trash, along paths that seemed to have been traveled many times. Then we came to what seemed to be a home that was literally part of one of the piles of junk. Alonzo walked in fearlessly, saying, "Jenny. They're back. And this one's wounded."

In the den, there was a seemingly middle-aged Jellicle. She was short and matronly-looking. "They found who, dear?" Then she saw us. A hand went to her mouth. "Oh, my. Oh, my goodness. It's them." She laughed a little. "They're back. Rumpleteazer, sweetheart, give your mother a hug."

"Not now, Mum," Rumpleteazer said. She stroked (yes, stroked) Jerrie's hair that fell on his forehead. Alonzo had laid him down on a cot. "They shot 'im. 'e's got a bullet in 'is leg, and you need tuh get it out."

This seemed to jolt Jenny. She shooed us out of the way and set to work. She clucked her tongue. "Why isn't he in his Jellicle form?" she asked. "Misto, would you please turn him?"

"Jenny," Tantomile said. She glanced at me. "We...we haven't told them yet."

Jenny frowned at her. "Why not?"

"The timing wasn't right. Just...fix him. I'll explain to Cory right now."

The older queen sighed, then nodded. "As you wish, dear. You can use my den."

Tantomile sighed, and with a nod, grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards a doorway in the back of the room. I thought of grabbing for Maggie, but Tantomile said, "No. She doesn't need to hear this. Just let me tell you. You can choose your way of explaining after. Please, Cory."

After a moment's hesitation, I allowed myself to be pulled into another room to hear what she had to say.

* * *

**A/N: Holy moley this has been in progress for almost two years. '^.^ whoopsee. This is one of my most popular stories, too. PLEASE, READERS, FORGIVE ME FOR THE TARDINESS OF MY CREATIVE FLOW.**


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